Spring Planting

I started planting on the fire escape. I'm always challenged by vegetable choices, window boxes and pots can seem destined only for herbs. Two years ago I grew cherry tomatoes, but we were on the south side of the building then and they burned in the sun, even with me watering them EVERY day.

I decided trellised stuff might be better, so this year I'm going for peas and string beans. Dense plantings that can climb the natural trellis of the fire escape, and  they don't need to spread horizontally. For my own indulgence I also have a box for scallions. Spring, composed salads are definitely in our future!

Herbs will get replanted as well. I waffle between planting from seeds and buying 3 inch pots at the farmer's market. The problem with seeds is I hate to waste them. I really, really, don't need 100 dill plants. But by buying seedlings I am really paying someone to do work for me that I can easily do.

I'll take pictures when everything is together.

Kimchi Kimchee Gimchi

In my quest to grow my own food in the kitchen, I made kimchee. The funniest thing about trying to google recipes is that every Korean makes their own, and they all have their own secret recipes. So there are few online, and a huge variety within them. I suppose that if I searched in korean rather than english I might have better luck, but I lack those skills. 

Basically, mine is napa cabbage, daikon radish, scallions, and spices. I fermented it for two days before moving it to the fridge. And while I find it delicious, J. thinks it is disgusting. She is lucky I'm not fermenting my own fish sauce on the kitchen counter.

Snail cookies!

I had some chocolate pie curst left over after a dulce de leche tart. It sat in the fridge for almost a week, I even considered freezing it. Then I made a onion tart and had plain crust as well, and got bored and layered the two with some sugar and rolled it all up. Chill in the fridge, slice, and you have some funky snail cookies.

Yucca Fries

After the fry up dinner for Blaise, I froze everything we didn't eat. But soon I realized I was loathe to throw the oil out after just one use. So I strained it through cheesecloth, and J. and I had appetizers, on a daily basis, of fried foods. So to go out with a bang I needed something new.

Simon Hopkinson has an interesting looking recipe for parmesan fritters, but it is a of of work. Like prep the day before work, which I wasn't feeling up to. And chickpea fries, while easier, still have a really long prep time.

So I decided on yucca fries. Which, to be technical, should be called yuca or cassava. We have had them several times at restaurants, and thought it was worth a go. And the cooking is easy, just peel, slice, blanche, fry, and salt. We had them with Boca Burgers. (Sorry for the bad photo)

There is only one thing I would do differently; blanch them less. I was paranoid about cyanide poisoning, and really cooked them. But them I read some more online after cooking and realized it wasn't such a big problem. I think it is also important for me to be more meticulous about cutting, so they all come out the same size. 

And no, I don't know if they have a higher/lower carb count than french fries.

Spring!

I noticed these yesterday in the windowbox. My chives have returned! And then there were potted herbs at the farmer's market!  I know it is real early, but I am excited. When the window boxes dry out in a few days I can start the spring clean up and prep for this summer's crop. 

The merger of Economic and Lost times

This woman is killing me. Clara is cooking food from the depression and her grandson is video recording and putting them on youtube.

Watching her gives me so many regrets about my Oma. I should have mined her for so much information, and I was never proactive about it.  She had so many pastry recipes that are now lost. I wish I could make sauerbraten with her right now. I've made it before, but not her recipe. Sweet strudels, christmas cookies, pear compote tarts, all things that I remember eating but never took the time to participate in. I know so many stories of her food, beyond what I remember eating. My mom will tell you about the time the pressure cooker exploded and coated the entire kitchen in beef stew. I wish I took the time to make stew with her.

If you are feeling economically depressed about your food budget, make some of her recipes.

Oh Well.

Thanks everyone for applying to be on Season 2 of Grill It! with Bobby Flay! Because of all the fantastic video submissions, narrowing it down to 13 final Grill Guests was extremely difficult. Thanks for all the memorable moments, laughs, unique recipes, skilled editing techniques and pet cameos! Joking aside, many of you seem to be talented cooks! We do appreciate all of your enthusiasm for the Food Network and Bobby Flay and hope that you're able to tune in to watch our upcoming season this May.

If you're interested in hearing about upcoming Food Network casting opportunities please look for Embassy Row (our production company) on Facebook using the email foodnetworkseries@gmail.com  

Keep on cooking!

The Grilling Casting Team - 
Lisa, Zandra, Alice & Portia
-- 
Rock Shrimp/Food Network
"Grill It" with Bobby Flay

Fry Up

I fired up the fryer for dinner for J, Blaise, and Matt. I've got a digital thermometer that I can set alarms for temperatures on. Combined with a big cast iron dutch oven and a lot of oil, it is much easier to control the temperature. While I fantasize about a fry daddy controlling it's own temperature, I don't have space for the kitchen equipment I have now.

The menu was very similar to New Years. I changed the pickles to a buttermilk cornmeal batter. They had a much better texture. I also added some fried capers. Rather than let them loose in the big pot, I contained them in a wire mesh strainer to keep them from escaping. They open up like flowers when fried. 

The nice thing about the vegetarian fry-up is I'm not worried about saving the oil. I poured it back into the bottle through cheesecloth this morning. I also don't have to worry about segregated frying. I would love to wrap one of the cornmeal pickles in bacon, it would be my two favorite foods in one; fry up and bacon. But I could never use the oil for J. again. Sad, lonely oil, only getting to fry once. I mourn for you.

Tonight I am thinking about a red onion, spinach, and gorgonzola fritatta. A leftovers special, and a much lighter meal.